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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Jekyll Revelation in Books
May 15, 2018
When I first laid eyes upon Robert Masello’s The Jekyll Revelation, I felt excitement. What could be better than combining Jekyll and Hyde with Jack the Ripper? In theory, nothing. Unless it’s this book. With an agonizingly slow advancement of plot and painfully dull characters, The Jekyll Revelation felt like a waste of my time. Thank god there was an audiobook accompaniment, or I wouldn’t have finished it.
The Jekyll Revelation goes back and forth in time, alternating between present day California where Rafe and Heidi (who vanishes halfway through the story, along with the repercussions for Rafe’s actions) patrol the desert and the past, where Robert Louis Stevenson, only just now writing his famed The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is slowly dying from consumption. The latter portions are told in first person, as it is the recounting of Stevenson’s fictional life by journal. Many of these chapters could be removed and the book would be the same.
I guess it could be said that my biggest quarrel with this book is its slow progression. It isn’t until the final quarter of the novel that anything picks up, and by then the present is damn near irrelevant. Sure, there’s some loose ends that get tied up in the present, but it just feels hollow and empty.
Overall, I didn’t like this book. Fellow members of the #spookyfriendsbookclub seem to also have given it up, with only one member still reading it. I likely won’t be including Masello in future votes.
The Jekyll Revelation goes back and forth in time, alternating between present day California where Rafe and Heidi (who vanishes halfway through the story, along with the repercussions for Rafe’s actions) patrol the desert and the past, where Robert Louis Stevenson, only just now writing his famed The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is slowly dying from consumption. The latter portions are told in first person, as it is the recounting of Stevenson’s fictional life by journal. Many of these chapters could be removed and the book would be the same.
I guess it could be said that my biggest quarrel with this book is its slow progression. It isn’t until the final quarter of the novel that anything picks up, and by then the present is damn near irrelevant. Sure, there’s some loose ends that get tied up in the present, but it just feels hollow and empty.
Overall, I didn’t like this book. Fellow members of the #spookyfriendsbookclub seem to also have given it up, with only one member still reading it. I likely won’t be including Masello in future votes.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Equalizer (2014) in Movies
Mar 9, 2019
Getting even is so much fun
Robert McCall is not what he seems. He works at the local home goods store seemingly living a quiet life when he meets a young call girl having a hard time. He befriends her then sees her beat up by the local Russian thugs/gangsters. He can't contain his inner rage enough not to help her in her situation taking the law into his own hands.
He quickly gets noticed by the underworld leadership and they seek him out to finish the war he started with violence and destruction. When the local gang members and crooked cops can't handle Robert, a heavyweight thug from Russia is brought in to find out who he is, who he is working for and take him out.
A role Denzel Washington being the "anti-hero" meaning solving his problems with violence and taking the law into his own hands was very fulfilling. Normally, his characters are the heroes and on the right side of the law (except Training Day I guess).
The film is exceptionally violent, so those who don't like their action taken to the extreme should pass on this one for sure. Denzel has such a commanding presence onscreen it is tough not to root for him even in this type of role.
I definitely was thoroughly entertained as he dispensed the baddies, so I am looking forward to the 2nd installment sometime very soon.
He quickly gets noticed by the underworld leadership and they seek him out to finish the war he started with violence and destruction. When the local gang members and crooked cops can't handle Robert, a heavyweight thug from Russia is brought in to find out who he is, who he is working for and take him out.
A role Denzel Washington being the "anti-hero" meaning solving his problems with violence and taking the law into his own hands was very fulfilling. Normally, his characters are the heroes and on the right side of the law (except Training Day I guess).
The film is exceptionally violent, so those who don't like their action taken to the extreme should pass on this one for sure. Denzel has such a commanding presence onscreen it is tough not to root for him even in this type of role.
I definitely was thoroughly entertained as he dispensed the baddies, so I am looking forward to the 2nd installment sometime very soon.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated On My Life in Books
Mar 15, 2019
Framed. Imprisoned. Pregnant.
Jenna thought she had the perfect life: a loving fiancé, a great job, a beautiful home. Then she finds her stepdaughter murdered; her partner missing.
And the police think she did it...
Locked up to await trial, surrounded by prisoners who'd hurt her if they knew what she's accused of, certain someone close to her has framed her, Jenna knows what she needs to do:
Clear her name
Save her baby
Find the killer
But can she do it in time?
This is the first time I have read any novels by this author and I really loved this book.
I could not put this novel down. I read it from cover to cover in the space of a day. It was gripping, compulsive and a truly engaging and absorbing read!
This book is beautifully written, full of red herrings and her description of prison life for a Nonce was well researched. All the way through this book I had to stop reading as it was very distressing at times.
The novel opens with Jenna under arrest for the murder of Emily, her partners 14-year old daughter, after being found covered in blood cradling her dead body. Her partner, Robert, is missing, presumed also murdered and shocking images have been found on her laptop.
She is placed on remand and locked up in HMP Fallenbrook surrounded by prisoners who would certainly harm her if they learn of the crimes that she is accused of. Fearing that she has been framed by someone close to her, she then discovers that she is pregnant. Jenna is determined to clear her name and find the killer. An almost impossible task from inside prison with almost no resources. The cards certainly seem stacked against her.
Along with Jennas harrowing experiences in the prison, there are also flashbacks to her developing relationship with Robert and Emily.
What made this novel different from other novels in the thriller genre is the engagement with social issues associated with inmates, including new and expectant mothers, incarcerated in the U.K. prison system. In her Authors Note Clarke cites her sources and influences. In addition, she visits and teaches in prisons and was provided with firsthand accounts so that she can depict authentically the day-to-day life in a U.K. prison.
I would like to thank the author, Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.
Jenna thought she had the perfect life: a loving fiancé, a great job, a beautiful home. Then she finds her stepdaughter murdered; her partner missing.
And the police think she did it...
Locked up to await trial, surrounded by prisoners who'd hurt her if they knew what she's accused of, certain someone close to her has framed her, Jenna knows what she needs to do:
Clear her name
Save her baby
Find the killer
But can she do it in time?
This is the first time I have read any novels by this author and I really loved this book.
I could not put this novel down. I read it from cover to cover in the space of a day. It was gripping, compulsive and a truly engaging and absorbing read!
This book is beautifully written, full of red herrings and her description of prison life for a Nonce was well researched. All the way through this book I had to stop reading as it was very distressing at times.
The novel opens with Jenna under arrest for the murder of Emily, her partners 14-year old daughter, after being found covered in blood cradling her dead body. Her partner, Robert, is missing, presumed also murdered and shocking images have been found on her laptop.
She is placed on remand and locked up in HMP Fallenbrook surrounded by prisoners who would certainly harm her if they learn of the crimes that she is accused of. Fearing that she has been framed by someone close to her, she then discovers that she is pregnant. Jenna is determined to clear her name and find the killer. An almost impossible task from inside prison with almost no resources. The cards certainly seem stacked against her.
Along with Jennas harrowing experiences in the prison, there are also flashbacks to her developing relationship with Robert and Emily.
What made this novel different from other novels in the thriller genre is the engagement with social issues associated with inmates, including new and expectant mothers, incarcerated in the U.K. prison system. In her Authors Note Clarke cites her sources and influences. In addition, she visits and teaches in prisons and was provided with firsthand accounts so that she can depict authentically the day-to-day life in a U.K. prison.
I would like to thank the author, Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jul 31, 2021
Ed O'Brien recommended Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin in Music (curated)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Tone-Deaf (2019) in Movies
Feb 11, 2021
As a proud owner of yet another subscription service, the first thing I did was scroll through every movie to create a watchlist. Killer Instinct popped up, and seeing Robert Patrick... *presses play*.
Olive's life has taken an unexpected turn and she decides that a trip out of the city is just what she needs. Peace and tranquillity awaits in the odd home she finds online, but the even odder owner and goings on aren't entirely what she'd hoped for.
I seem to be picking films recently that remind me of other films, and Killer Instinct (also known as Tone Deaf) reminds me heavily of The Intruder from 2019 starring Dennis Quaid... with the slight difference that The Intruder was kind of watchable.
For a film under 90 minutes it feels significantly longer with nothing much happening. The whole idea that Harvey (Robert Patrick) is hatching this plan is poorly set up and once underway I didn't fully understand what the motivation was behind his character. As well as Intruder vibes, I was getting heavy Home Alone vibes too... you'll see.
There felt like two distinct sides to the cast, "serious" and "comedy". But the serious weren't, and neither were the comedy. The way everything was laced together felt like a sloppy attempt to merge Happy Death Day with a serious thriller.
As a lead character, Olive (Amanda Crew), doesn't feel massively likeable, and there seemed like there wasn't really any way to bring that to life as she was. Unengaging characters are also something that's happening more to me in recent film choices, and here, as with others, I found myself getting pulled out of the events of the film because of it.
I had hoped that Robert Patrick would offer some respite, but Harvey is equally... blah. There's no real explanation about why he is the way he is and it's introduced in such a strange way that his motivations are almost entirely obscured by it.
Killer Instinct tries very hard to be relevant and be a commentary on generational divides, but it's done by breaking the fourth wall and talking to the camera in a way that wasn't at all palatable. Each time it happened I frowned and instantly felt disengaged from the film. Combine that with the oddly comedic mother storyline and you get a film with a constant identity crisis.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/02/killer-instinct-movie-review.html
Olive's life has taken an unexpected turn and she decides that a trip out of the city is just what she needs. Peace and tranquillity awaits in the odd home she finds online, but the even odder owner and goings on aren't entirely what she'd hoped for.
I seem to be picking films recently that remind me of other films, and Killer Instinct (also known as Tone Deaf) reminds me heavily of The Intruder from 2019 starring Dennis Quaid... with the slight difference that The Intruder was kind of watchable.
For a film under 90 minutes it feels significantly longer with nothing much happening. The whole idea that Harvey (Robert Patrick) is hatching this plan is poorly set up and once underway I didn't fully understand what the motivation was behind his character. As well as Intruder vibes, I was getting heavy Home Alone vibes too... you'll see.
There felt like two distinct sides to the cast, "serious" and "comedy". But the serious weren't, and neither were the comedy. The way everything was laced together felt like a sloppy attempt to merge Happy Death Day with a serious thriller.
As a lead character, Olive (Amanda Crew), doesn't feel massively likeable, and there seemed like there wasn't really any way to bring that to life as she was. Unengaging characters are also something that's happening more to me in recent film choices, and here, as with others, I found myself getting pulled out of the events of the film because of it.
I had hoped that Robert Patrick would offer some respite, but Harvey is equally... blah. There's no real explanation about why he is the way he is and it's introduced in such a strange way that his motivations are almost entirely obscured by it.
Killer Instinct tries very hard to be relevant and be a commentary on generational divides, but it's done by breaking the fourth wall and talking to the camera in a way that wasn't at all palatable. Each time it happened I frowned and instantly felt disengaged from the film. Combine that with the oddly comedic mother storyline and you get a film with a constant identity crisis.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/02/killer-instinct-movie-review.html
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Body Snatcher (1945) in Movies
Oct 17, 2020
Boris Karloff (1 more)
Bela Lugosi
Invasion
The Body Snatcher- is not related to "The Body Snatchers". Yes it is confused. Cause i thought this was the oringal version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", just called "The Body Snatcher". Nope it turns out its two different things. Both based off of books. This film is based off of "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson. While "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is based off of Jack Finney's 1954 science fiction novel "The Body Snatchers". So yea not confusing at all.
The plot: Dr. Toddy MacFarlane (Henry Daniell) needs cadavers for his medical experiments, ultimately intended to treat a young disabled girl. However, they are not easy to come by, so he enlists the help of taxi driver John Gray (Boris Karloff) and his assistant, Joseph (Bela Lugosi), to unearth bodies from the cemetery. When Donald (Russell Wade), Dr. MacFarlane's assistant, recognizes one of the corpses Gray delivers, the true source of the bodies is called into question.
It is based on the short story "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film's producer Val Lewton helped adapt the story for the screen, writing under the pen name of "Carlos Keith". The film was marketed with the tagline "The screen's last word in shock sensation!" The frequent mentions of Burke, Hare, and Dr. Knox, all refer to the West Port murders in 1828.
The Body Snatcher was one of three films that Boris Karloff did with RKO Radio Pictures from 1945 to 1946, which were produced by Val Lewton. The other two films were Isle of the Dead (1945) and Bedlam (1946).
Bela Lugosi, who became famous with another Universal classic, Dracula (1931), also signed a deal with RKO. Lewton and MacDonald eventually wrote a small role for him; it became the last film Lugosi and Karloff made together.
Robert Wise – later best-known for his work in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), West Side Story (1961), The Sound of Music (1965), and The Sand Pebbles (1966) – was assigned to direct the film. Longtime film editor at RKO, he had replaced the original director on The Curse of the Cat People (1944) when it fell behind schedule and Lewton, who produced it, decided to promote him to his superiors.
Its a excellent film.
The plot: Dr. Toddy MacFarlane (Henry Daniell) needs cadavers for his medical experiments, ultimately intended to treat a young disabled girl. However, they are not easy to come by, so he enlists the help of taxi driver John Gray (Boris Karloff) and his assistant, Joseph (Bela Lugosi), to unearth bodies from the cemetery. When Donald (Russell Wade), Dr. MacFarlane's assistant, recognizes one of the corpses Gray delivers, the true source of the bodies is called into question.
It is based on the short story "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film's producer Val Lewton helped adapt the story for the screen, writing under the pen name of "Carlos Keith". The film was marketed with the tagline "The screen's last word in shock sensation!" The frequent mentions of Burke, Hare, and Dr. Knox, all refer to the West Port murders in 1828.
The Body Snatcher was one of three films that Boris Karloff did with RKO Radio Pictures from 1945 to 1946, which were produced by Val Lewton. The other two films were Isle of the Dead (1945) and Bedlam (1946).
Bela Lugosi, who became famous with another Universal classic, Dracula (1931), also signed a deal with RKO. Lewton and MacDonald eventually wrote a small role for him; it became the last film Lugosi and Karloff made together.
Robert Wise – later best-known for his work in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), West Side Story (1961), The Sound of Music (1965), and The Sand Pebbles (1966) – was assigned to direct the film. Longtime film editor at RKO, he had replaced the original director on The Curse of the Cat People (1944) when it fell behind schedule and Lewton, who produced it, decided to promote him to his superiors.
Its a excellent film.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) in Movies
Oct 21, 2021
And so here we are, at the 6th and final (in terms of the OG plot line) installament of A Nightmare on Elm Street and the series has finally nosedived into full cartoon territory, and do you know what? I don't hate it.
There are plenty of things about Freddy's Dead that are terrible, from the screenplay, to the characters, to the hammy acting, to the lack of signature gore, to one of the most laughable plot retcons I've ever seen...it should be a dumpster fire, but somehow, it's ludicrous enough to be pretty damn entertaining. It still has some imaginative sequences, even if some are a little over familiar. Freddy's transformation into his final form of being a quip-laden asshat is complete, and although I would rather scary Freddy any day of the week, he manages to make proceedings pretty fun, even if Robert Englund doesn't seem quite as committed as he once was.
It's easy to dunk on Freddy's Dead and I completely understand why it's a lot of people's least favourite entry in the franchise, but it's so wonderfully bizarre, and as a result, I have a huge soft spot for it.
There are plenty of things about Freddy's Dead that are terrible, from the screenplay, to the characters, to the hammy acting, to the lack of signature gore, to one of the most laughable plot retcons I've ever seen...it should be a dumpster fire, but somehow, it's ludicrous enough to be pretty damn entertaining. It still has some imaginative sequences, even if some are a little over familiar. Freddy's transformation into his final form of being a quip-laden asshat is complete, and although I would rather scary Freddy any day of the week, he manages to make proceedings pretty fun, even if Robert Englund doesn't seem quite as committed as he once was.
It's easy to dunk on Freddy's Dead and I completely understand why it's a lot of people's least favourite entry in the franchise, but it's so wonderfully bizarre, and as a result, I have a huge soft spot for it.
David McK (3162 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019 (Updated Jul 24, 2022)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Terminator: Salvation
Terminator: Genisys
Forget them all.
(as an aside: notice how they get progressively worse as they went along?)
Right from the opening pre-credit sequence, this sets itself up as a sequel to the superlative Terminator 2: Judgment Day, ignoring all the above-named moves (and TV series). It's also no secret that this stars Linda Hamilton's kick-ass Sarah Connor (who was unceremoniously killed off off-screen in Terminator 3, before having her own TV show in the Sarah Connor Chronicles), with Gabriel Luna's Rev-9 a more worthy successor to Robert Patrick's T-1000 than Kristinna Loken's T-X and with the (inevitable) return of Arnie himself as an original series Terminator.
Like the first 2 movies, this is essentially a chase movie, with Connor and co on the run from the Rev-9 (from a future that has never heard of Cyberdyne or Skynet) while trying to protect Natalia Reyes Danni from the Rev-9: I also have to say that, like a lot of James Cameron's movies, this features powerful female roles, with Arnie really only along as back-up.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Terminator: Salvation
Terminator: Genisys
Forget them all.
(as an aside: notice how they get progressively worse as they went along?)
Right from the opening pre-credit sequence, this sets itself up as a sequel to the superlative Terminator 2: Judgment Day, ignoring all the above-named moves (and TV series). It's also no secret that this stars Linda Hamilton's kick-ass Sarah Connor (who was unceremoniously killed off off-screen in Terminator 3, before having her own TV show in the Sarah Connor Chronicles), with Gabriel Luna's Rev-9 a more worthy successor to Robert Patrick's T-1000 than Kristinna Loken's T-X and with the (inevitable) return of Arnie himself as an original series Terminator.
Like the first 2 movies, this is essentially a chase movie, with Connor and co on the run from the Rev-9 (from a future that has never heard of Cyberdyne or Skynet) while trying to protect Natalia Reyes Danni from the Rev-9: I also have to say that, like a lot of James Cameron's movies, this features powerful female roles, with Arnie really only along as back-up.
David McK (3162 KP) rated The World Is Not Enough (1999) in Movies
Aug 21, 2022 (Updated Aug 19, 2023)
Brosnan's best Bond movie?
For me, the Pierce Brosnan era was the last time we had a 'proper' Bond movie - the Daniel Craig movies, for my tastes, are just too dour (even if they are probably closer to Flemings original creation)
Of the four Bond movies that Brosnan starred in - Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day - this is, generally, my pick for the best (although I keep see-sawing between this one and Goldeneye).
I'll freely admit that the fact that we're supposed to believe Denise Richards is a nuclear physicist is ludicrous (to say the least), but Sophie Marceau's Elektra King more than makes up for it, as does the presence of Robert Carlyle, and even Judi Dench's 'M' who seems somewhat softer, more matriarchal - but still with a backbone of steel - than her later appearances in the Daniel Craig era.
This is the one that also sees Desmond Llewelyn's Q finally bow out of the picture, handing over to John Cleese's 'R' and - for my money - is also the last time Bond was allowed to be, well, fun!
Of the four Bond movies that Brosnan starred in - Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day - this is, generally, my pick for the best (although I keep see-sawing between this one and Goldeneye).
I'll freely admit that the fact that we're supposed to believe Denise Richards is a nuclear physicist is ludicrous (to say the least), but Sophie Marceau's Elektra King more than makes up for it, as does the presence of Robert Carlyle, and even Judi Dench's 'M' who seems somewhat softer, more matriarchal - but still with a backbone of steel - than her later appearances in the Daniel Craig era.
This is the one that also sees Desmond Llewelyn's Q finally bow out of the picture, handing over to John Cleese's 'R' and - for my money - is also the last time Bond was allowed to be, well, fun!